Problems in disseminating sound recordings from heritage institutions and solutions through management processes

Phonogram management in heritage institutions poses endless difficulties, especially as regards the rights of the owners of these works. The study presents a document management process, represented by a set of flowcharts, aiming to solve the main difficulties faced by managers willing to spread phonogram collections. The situation of the possible holders of phonogram rights is analyzed successively: a) the various types of rights on sound recordings; b) the duration of the protection of author’s rights; c) the duration of the related rights; and d) some specific problems of copyright management in heritage institutions. As a whole, the study offers a tool for responding to most of the problems posed by phonogram dissemination, and shows the advantages of having a copyright policy in institutions, both for the internal management of their phonogram collections and for dissemination of these in present-day society.